Game apparatus.



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(No Model.)

UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL E. W'HARTON, OF WEST SUPERIOR, WISCONSIN.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,222, dated June 5,1900. Application nea october t, 1899. sain No. 732,653. nto man.)

T all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. WHAETON, a citizen of the United States,residing at West Superior, in the county of Douglas and State in playing a ball game, and it is intended to throw or project the ball, to catch it, or to pick the ball up from the ground; and the object is .to provide a simple and eective device for these several purposes.

To this end the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the device, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings the same reference characters indicate the saine parts of the device.

Figure l is a side elevation of my improved ball-handling device. Fig. A2 is a longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is an end View. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 44 of Fig. 2.-

l denotes the handle terminatingin a handgrip 2, and 3 denotes a case or shell fixed to the opposite end of the handle, and itis preferably formed of rubber, though it may be made of leather or metal.

4 denotes the mouth,wl1ich is slightly larger than the diameter of the ball to be used.

5 denotes a wire guard mounted in the sleeve 6, fixed to the outside of the shell, and its ends terminate in the eyes 7 7, from which cords S S extend along the outside of the shell and along the guide-grooves 9 9, formed in the handle 1,` and the ends of said cords are attached to a ring-lever lO, fulcrumed on the handle, as shown.

12 denotes a rubber band attached to the wire guard to act as a spring and retract the guard after it has been pulled forward by the lever 10 for the purpose of compressing the mouth.

13 denotes an opening formed in the side wall of the shell and encompassed by the f1exible fingers 14 14 to permit the easy entrance of the ball.

In operation the player holds the device in such a position that the ball A in coming toward him strikes the ngers 14, which being iiexible yield and allow the ball to enter, its escape being prevented on the rebound by the fingers 14, which return to their normal position as soon as the ball passes in. The cords attached to the wire guard are pulled forward to compress the flexible mouth and prevent the escape of the ball until the said guard is released. When itis desired to pick the ball from the ground, the mouth 4 of the' 4 device is placed over the ball. The ring-lever l() is now pressed forward by the thumb and compresses the upper half of the mouth of the device to prevent the ball from escaping through the mouth. When the operator desires to deliver the ball, he swings the shell around in a circle and at the proper point releases the wire guard, and thus permits the ball to escape.

The accompanying drawings show my invention in the lbest form now known to me; but many changes in the details might be made within the skill of a good mechanic without departing from. the spirit of my invention as set forth in the claim at the end of this specification.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s

In a device of the class described, a flexible shell formed with an end and a side opening, a suitable handle for manipulating the shell, a guard arranged to contract the end opening and means for operating the guard, substantially las and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL E. WHAETON.

Witnesses:

D. CLOUGH GATES, ERNEST L. WArrs. 

